Parents can spot early signs of autism in their children but doctors don’t always listen to them, suggest two new studies.

Newt Gingrich wants to double spending on medical research, and Chinese researchers highlight the hazards of editing human genomes.

A new study is the first rigorous test of a controversial idea: that the everyday interactions between caregiver and child can shape the course of autism.

The pupils of 10-month-old infants who have a sibling with autism constrict unusually fast in response to flashes of light, hinting that this reflex could be an early sign of the disorder.

A human gene gives mice bigger brains, and people with autism weigh in on that white or blue dress.

Home videos may ease social deficits in babies, and a supplement maker is scolded over autism claims.

It’s no easy feat to whittle down the list of the most influential autism papers to a mere 10. So please consider this but a taste of the burgeoning field, presented in chronological order and based on suggestions from many researchers.

Three distinct behavioral profiles in siblings of children with autism at 18 months predict autism diagnosis at age 3. The findings, published 2 October, point to multiple developmental pathways to the disorder.

Many studies have found differences in the brains of young infants later diagnosed with autism. But to call this a biomarker requires independent validation, time and patience, says Helen Tager-Flusberg.

Some siblings of children with autism have social language impairments that may signal another, more controversial disorder.